1989 BMW E24 635CSI Highline First Show!! P5

[gav328t]

Hi folks, this is my first post here, but i've got to say I like the place already. I'm a fan of some of the older cars, and I see classics like the Capri's, a few BMW's and various others that i'll enjoy reading about at some point!.

Anyways, enough babbling, here's my W.I.P.

I got this car about 2 years ago, the story behind it is long, and not something I want to go into at the moment. Lets just say, it's not the usual way to come into ownership of a classic BMW!

This is how she was looking when I got her.







My plans are to remove the gash wheels, rip off the silver tints, and replace the wing mirrors for some standard ones. I'll be refitting the side repeaters too, but i'll have to cut new holes for them. I'll possibly put some non standard ones on, but something discreet and easy to fit.

The interior is pretty much leather everywhere, except the carpet. Extended leather owners eat your heart out...





At the moment she's a bit of a mess, she needs a good wash inside and out, the leather has gotten damp and has a bit of mould on it at the moment, but i'll sort that soon.

She's only done about 125k, but I don't have any history as the previous owner still has it, and I can't see him passing it on to be honest.

*spec list*

[SamR380]

Good to hear you're doing sensible things to her That leather'll come up like new with a bit of love too.

Good luck with it, very nice cars.

[gav328t]

The car has had a fair bit of work done since then, including removal of the tints from all but the rear windscreen, as it's proving quite difficult to get it off.

I had the car moved just after christmas from a storage company to a private garage closer to my house. Unfortunately there was a few problems...


From this, just before the recovery truck arrived..



to this, after the first attempt to get her on the flatbed...











Pretty much, the front valance was ripped off. The guy took the valance away with him, and after about 3 weeks, I got it back, in one piece looking as good as new.

Since then. the wheels have been removed and sold on ebay, and new ones have been aquired...



These are BBS RC035 8jx17 ET20 fronts and BBS RC038 9jx17 ET26 Rears.

I have yet to sort out tyres to put on them, and get the wheels fitted to the car, but at the moment the car isn't likely to be coming out of the garage any time soon, so there's no rush for tyres.


Here's how she's currently looking (the valance is at home).





I'll hopefully be taking her to Gaydon this year, and i'll be looking to sell her early next year.

[gav328t]

Currently, she won't turn over. I'm not sure if there's a problem with the imobiliser, but that has been bypassed and she still won't turn. I have sourced a replacement starter motor just in case, though it could be as simple as just the engine earths, as the old girl hasn't really had much love for the last nearly 2 years. Thats due mostly to the backstory, but she's getting attention now.

A couple of parts arrived recently from Ebay, though I still need a few more bits.





A pair of electric mirrors, and 4/6 of the door mouldings/rub strips.

The door mirrors need some attention, either a rechroming or sanding back and painting. The rub strips have a few marks on them, they're slightly dull too so they'll need either sanding and/or painting.

All I need now is to get some new fixings for the strips, and to get the two front wing parts.

I've also got some standard E30 headlights to replace the aftermarket angel eye rubbish thats currently in it, so at some point, i'm going to be having a few hours of fitting parts.

Still to do..

1. Remove rear tint film
2. Fit replacement door locks (curse word job)
3. replace starter motor (when it arrives)
4. get it running again
5. repair drivers seat (it moves when it should be fixed)
6. refit front valance
7. thorough wash and valet.
8. scuffmaster seats
9. remove spacers and fit wheels (once tyres are sorted)
10. Fix boot spoiler down properly
11. MOT
12. aircon regas


Parts needed (known, could get a huge list from the MOT man)..

1. ignition bracket
2. ignition barrel
3. wing mirrors - ##sourced##
4. headlights (might be sorted)
5. tyres
6. side rubstrips - these might have to be modified and bonded on. Last resort only though. - ##front wing pieces needed only##
7. side indicators
8. Alarm keyfob
9. front foglights.

I'll add as I think of things

[gav328t]

Oh, and a picture of my daily, 1996 BMW E36 328i Touring




Thanks for reading

[Ian]

Great cars, both of them! Welcome along Gav.

[guslopez]

" The car has had a fair bit of work done since then, including removal of the tints from all but the rear windscreen, as it's proving quite difficult to get it off. "

Hair dryer or a hot air gun is the best way. Once you've got a corner up just keep pressure on whilst heating with the gun. Then clean glass with brake cleaner or solvent.

[GT4ME]

Love an E24, well done getting rid of those wheels.

[skoda_norman]

Nice car! I love these.

[brennon]

if you ever sell it please can i have first refusal!? love it!

[gav328t]

It will be going up for sale in spring next year, i'll be looking for £3500-£4k for her. It would be more, but due to the circumstances of my aquiring the car, there isn't any history with it. Sadly, i can't replace the history either, as BMW only keep the dates it has been in to a dealership, the last time being 2001 (i do know it was maintained meticulously by an independant specialist until 2009, but i have no proof of that).

It has only done 123k miles though, and the work i'm doing will be as documented as i can get it.


Thanks for all the kind replies

[WoodyMercW114]

Love this but you already know that mate.

[gav328t]

May 1, 2012 16:23:36 GMT WoodyMercW114 said:

Love this but you already know that mate.

Thanks mate

[Tarka]

Mmm I do like these - especially in Highline spec. I must get my mate to start a thread for his white one. Looks like you have your plans in place. I am intrigued about the story of how it came into your ownership - you're just teasing us!!

[gav328t]

To be honest, i wish it was just a tease.

The very short version, is that a friend owned this car before me. I helped him out by putting it in my name when he went bankrupt, so that he wouldn't lose the car. I rented a garage in my name for it, he said he would pay for the garage but never did. I payed for the garage for over 18 months, out of my own pocket. The longer it went on, the less i heard from him, unless it was something he wanted, like a lift somewhere etc. After 18 months ish, i moved out of the area and took the car with me. My name is on the logbook, and i am in posession of the car, so i own it. I hadn't spoken to him in about 3 months at that point, as he was avoiding me.

So, in total he owed me around £1200. I spoke to him a short while after i'd moved, all he did was blame me, saying that i'd stolen his car. I offered him the car back for what he/it owed me (£1200), and he refused and told me to keep the car.

A very short version of event's, but thats how i came into ownership of it. After that last conversation, i changed my phone number and haven't spoken to him since. I took it on my self to restore the car to a point where it was reasonable, and then sell it.

The first picture above is what he did to it, and his future plans were of neon underlights, amplifiers and sub boxes, and more chav tat.

My intention for the car was never to make a profit, i would have happily sold the car back to him for what it owed me, but as he turned that down, my intentions now are to give the car it's due, and sell it on to someone who will hopefully look after it.


It's not something i'm proud of, it's not something i would have intended to do when i signed the car into my name in the first place. But, that's just the way it's happened.

[Tarka]

Not really sure what else you could have done dude. You gave him the chance to have it back which was ignored. Fair dos to be honest. Let's face it, a 6 left in a lock up for more than a couple of years would turn to dust anyway!! Make your mark!

[gav328t]

May 2, 2012 19:39:50 GMT Tarka said:

Not really sure what else you could have done dude. You gave him the chance to have it back which was ignored. Fair dos to be honest. Let's face it, a 6 left in a lock up for more than a couple of years would turn to dust anyway!! Make your mark!

I apreciate that, thanks

A lot of people have said i've done the right thing, but it doesn't make it feel any better. I lost a lot of sleep over it, it played quite a lot on my mind. Once i'd spoken to him though and he refused my offer, i felt a bit better really, but even so, he was a friend.

Still, thats all in the past now, and i intend to put the car right. She should be at Gaydon this year, if i can get everything done in time. I'm spending most of saturday this weekend swapping parts and looking at refitting the side strips (they've been smoothed out). I'll need to find some measurements for that though. Hopefully, i'll be getting her running again too, as she won't turn over at the moment.

[oli8925]

You did the right thing and have done nothing illegal, if he said to keep the car out of spite then so be it. He's plans were pretty awful anyway, I've seen a few chavved up 6ers and it's not a pretty sight. Shame about the lost paperwork, but a nice car without paperwork is still a nice car, some paperwork without a car is worthless.

I have a huge soft spot for a 6, my brother had a Highline a couple of years ago, bought it while he could as a dream car to run for a year. Got the rear arches repaired and some detail done and sold it a year later for about the same. I miss it dearly! Got some of his arty shots for your interest and might help for trim referencing or something, here.

[gav328t]

That's great, thanks for that link. It could prove very usefull when i'm refitting the side strips

[Kieran]

I agree with a above comments, you did the only thing you could've really done by taking the car by the sounds of it.

The 6 series is a lovely shape, that shark nose has to be one of the all time best front ends. Pleased to see your de-chavving it, the RC's will look so much nicer than the Halfrauds specials. This car has a lot of potential.